Progress we've made so far

Climate and Renewables Chart

Hover or click on data for more information on performance.To learn more about this metric, see the 'How We Measure Success' section below.The numbers presented have been rounded and may not add up precisely to the totals provided.

2015-2020 priority actions

Short-term actions for achieving our goals for 2020.

In the short term, our focus will be on the continued expansion of low carbon neighbourhood energy systems and the need for long-term carbon planning.

1.1 - Continue to work with partners to convert two existing steam heat networks to renewable energy.

1.2 - Work with partners to develop four new neighbourhood energy systems.

1.3 - Develop and begin implementing a renewable energy strategy.

Our 2015-2016 successes

Recent initiatives that bring us closer to reaching the Climate and Renewables goal.

Committed to 100% renewable energy by 2050

Council unanimously approved the Renewable City Strategy in November 2015, committing our city to derive 100% of our energy from renewable sources before 2050.

Fossil fuels can no longer be relied on to provide the benefits they have had in the past. We can play catch up later, or by acting now we can enhance the quality of life for residents and grow our economy.

Led the charge for cities at climate talks in Paris

Our climate and green economy leadership was highlighted at COP21 (the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in late 2015 with every level of community and national leadership from around the world in attendance.

Continued to refine the capture of landfill gas

Every year we make upgrades at the Vancouver Landfill to capture more methane gas for heating and power generation. In 2015, 71% of gas emitted by the landfill was captured.

Our 2014-2015 successes

Initiatives that brought us closer to reaching the Climate and Renewables goal from 2014 to 2015.

Continued expansion in district energy networks

The Southeast False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU) reduces emissions in the buildings it serves by 60% by using sewage heat recovery.

Since 2010, the utility service area grew by 260%, with 4.2 million square feet of buildings now connected. This is a 700,000 square foot increase since last year. Plans for expansion of district energy systems continue.

Improved landfill gas capture

Methane is a by-product of landfill waste decomposition and a powerful greenhouse gas. We continue to make upgrades at the Vancouver Landfill and continue to improve how we capture this gas, which is then used to heat onsite buildings, nearby greenhouses and generate electricity.

In 2014, 505,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) were captured: equivalent to taking over 126,000 cars off the road for a year.

Intervened on Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project

The proposed Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion would result in a:

Seven-fold increase of oil tanker traffic

Significant increase in pipeline operating emissions

Potential damage to our local waters and beaches from any oil spill

Challenged the hearing process

As an intervenor, we put forward over 1,000 questions to Trans Mountain and formally challenged the hearing process, which excluded the upstream and downstream climate change impacts of building the pipeline from being considered. We continue to raise awareness around the climate and environmental consequences of an increase in tar sands production.

Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP) reports

The Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP) offsets the carbon tax paid by local governments who have committed to becoming carbon neutral in their corporate operations by 2012 under the BC Climate Action Charter.

To be eligible for the grant, local governments are required to publicly report their plan and progress toward meeting their goals.

Our 2015 report summarizes the actions we took in 2015 and planned for 2016, as well as the final City CARIP emissions inventory for 2015.

Past emissions are periodically revised based on the latest science. For example, in 2014 the Provincial Government updated their guidance to local governments on how methane, which is emitted by waste decomposing in the landll, acts as a greenhouse gas.

Specifically, the global warming potential (GWP), the measure of how much heat a particular greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere, has been updated. The new Provincial Guidance directs that the GWP of methane be updated from 21 to 25 to align with the guidance released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its Fourth Assessment Report. Carbon dioxide has a GWP of one.